Lace Ballgown for a Beauty

I’ve known Michel for a few years now. She has come to me on several occasions to alter and do minor repairs on her clothing. She loves fashion and is always intrigued with what projects I am working on, especially the custom dressmaking ones. She would say to me that someday, she’d love to have me make something custom for her. Well, that day came along when she was asked by her best friend to be the Maid of Honor in her wedding, and she had the choice of what to wear in the wedding as long as it was formal, elegant and black.

As soon as Michel was asked, she reached out to me to see if I was available to create a gown for her. Of course I was! Michel is such a wonderful person and a repeat client of mine, so I was honored to create something special for her.

We had our first meeting at my house on a warm sunny afternoon, over a light lunch and refreshments, sitting out on my back deck. We talked about what style she likes, what parts of her body she’d like to highlight and what she’d rather not. We talked about color (black), and fabric options, the timing of the wedding, and I showed her some images I put together on Pinterest.

A black lace gown I pinned on Pinterest

She loved the idea of a fit & flare dress, or a mermaid style that is fitted from the bodice to the upper leg, then flares out at below the knee. She wanted to highlight her slim waist and also wanted sleeves as the wedding was scheduled for the end of January, so she might get cold. It was great as we worked together to decide on a suitable style as she had an idea of what she wanted, but also put a lot of trust in me and my experience in the fashion industry, dabbling in image consulting.

I found a couple of sewing patterns to start with, and eventually decided on this one: McCalls 6838.

The pattern cover is really not all that elegant, but if you look past that and look at the illustrations and line drawings, the pattern becomes much more appealing. To me, at least!

Line drawings of McCalls 6838 sewing pattern

In my sewing experience so far, I like to take an existing pattern that is already graded and figured out, and make it extra by adding design details, using nice quality fabrics, linings, embellishments, and leveled-up sewing and dressmaking techniques to really make the design special and valuable.

As a side note, I have been working solely for myself since June of 2022, running my design, dressmaking and bridal alterations business Love, Stephanie. Since then, I have leveled up my sewing and strive to create high quality garments with special details including fit, better fabrics, quality construction and special personal touches. Doing so, I have also revised my price list and raised my prices, no longer giving friends and family discounts or doing free-bee trades just because I feel like I am charging too much or still in training. Now, I charge accordingly for my work, my experience, my dedication to my clients, and my attention to detail. Saying that, this gown took a lot of time and effort to create, and I priced it at $1,400 not including fabric. Just in case you were wondering!

Back to the dress!

We had our first fitting using the pattern tissue paper to just get an idea of fit for the main parts of the pattern. Michel has a great figure, virtually zero body fat, so the pattern essentially fit right out of the envelope with very little adjustments needed. Must be nice, huh!

From there, we went fabric shopping together and Michel chose and purchased a lovely black lace with a little floral motif all over, and a scalloped edge which I used later for the neck and sleeve edges of the shrug.

The pattern and the lace! Please excuse the cluttered background of my studio!

I then moved on to making a muslin mock-up of the dress to further ensure the fit and style are what she likes before I cut into her fashion fabric. I only had to make a few more fitting tweaks at the muslin stage, taking notes along the way to keep track of what I needed to do as I made progress.

In her mock-up, Michel just needs a few tweaks to the fit, and to decide what lining she preferred (nude lining won!)

For each of my custom sewing clients, I keep a dossier type folder with my notes, sketches, pattern pieces, inspiration images, fabric swatches, receipts, and have this handy as I’m working on the project to keep it all together and organized. I keep and store each client’s dossier after the project is complete for my own records as well, and as a reminder as to how far I’ve come along which is nice 🙂

Michel’s dossier cover image, with my sketching & scribbles, stored in a pocket folder, with all my notes kept together

With the muslin fitting stage completed, it was now time to start cutting into the fabric and constructing the dress.

I cut out all of the lace pieces of the dress, including the bodice, the skirt, and the lower skirt flounce. I also cut the exact same pattern pieces out of a light weight lining material in a flesh tone to underline the lace and give it structure and opacity. Here I have my pattern pieces all cut out, stacked and pinned with the lace and underlining, ready to be hand basted together and later treated as one layer to be sewn together.

The bodice pieces cut out in lace with underlining pinned and ready to be basted together by hand

The upper skirt pieces marked and ready to be basted together by hand

One half of the lower skirt portion ready for basting the layers together.

Once the layers were basted together, I could move on to sewing the pattern pieces together and start forming the dress.

The bodice and upper skirt sewn together. It looks great just like this!

To give the lower circle skirt more body, bounce and twirl appeal, I added a layer of tulle between the lace and the lining, gathering it as I sewed it to the upper seam edge before attaching it to the lower skirt. I thought this was a great idea as I’ve seen this kind of layer in big ball gown type skirts, knew it would be easy to do and create a great effect.

Lots of pins to keep this tulle in check!

It looks like a messy nest, so one pin at a time controls the tulle before and during machine stitching

This is the stage where I wanted to start adding the beading. I planned it at this stage of the construction process as I wanted the stitching and threads of the beading to be hidden between the outer layer (the lace and underlining) and the lining. I bought some lovely little black glass seed beads and black sequins and created a little stack of them and sewed 2-3 stacks to the large flower motif in the center. It wasn’t all that noticeable on the dress, especially in a photo, but in person, it gives the dress a tiny little shimmer and adds a slight texture to the lace.

Hand sewing the seed beads and sequins, one by one, to the lace

I created tiny little stacks of seed beads and sequins to the center of the large flower motifs all over the dress and flounce

As I sewed the beads and sequins to the dress, I kept track of my time using the timer on my iPhone and jotting it down as I went. Adding it all up, it took me about 9 hours to bead the dress. If I had the time, I would have beaded more of the dress, but this wasn’t feasible with just my two hands and lack of time!

As the dress progressed, I had a couple of more fittings with Michel, this time in the fabric, before I added the lining, just to check fit again and make sure everything was perfect before the lining installation

Michel pinned into her dress, the straps and belt also just pinned, and deciding on the finished hem length.

Pinned into the dress, with the unfinished shrug (again, please excuse the mess!)

She also wanted a sleeve option for the dress, so I made a little matching shrug for her using Butterick 4731 for the pattern.

Butterick 4731 for the shrug only (although I also like the gown in this pattern)

I used the sleeves of view A and the front and back of view B to make the shrug

I cut out the shrug in the same layers as the dress, also beading the outer lace layer before adding the lining

I used the pretty scalloped border of the lace material to create a trim to go around the edges of the shrug at the neckline, around the back, and the sleeve hem.

Hand stitching the lace edge trim to the finished shrug

I wanted to be sure to have a well made garment that would last a long time, and be extra special to slip on and wear comfortably. I added two hanging loops into the side seams of the lining using a narrow satin ribbon, so that when the gown was hanging, not all of the weight of the dress was on the straps and it was supported with the loops. These loops would then just fall down into the dress when worn and are not seen. I also added a little waist stay right at the waistline of the dress using a wider ribbon and a hook and bar. This feature helps to support the weight of the dress on the inside. I see both of these interior details in some of the wedding gowns that I have altered, so I like to adapt them into my dresses for a high end, secret quality detail!

The hanging loops do their job to help support the dress while hanging

The waist stay added as her exact waist measurement inside the dress for support

Jumping ahead, as the wedding date was rapidly approaching, the dress and shrug were turning out so well, and I couldn’t wait to get Michel in it and delivered before the big day.

Before delivering it though, I wanted to add a little special and personal touch to the garment bag that I usually include with the dresses that I make for my clients. This time, I used my embroidery machine and made a monogram for her on the outside of the garment bag.

The purchased garment bag with the personal monogram

Finishing up the dress and delivering the finished product always feels great! She’s excited, I’m excited and everyone can’t wait to see her dazzling in her new custom made gown!

Checking and double checking the hem is even and balanced

The time finally came that I was 100% finished with the dress and I was ready to deliver it to Michel. It kind of feels like I am handing off a little part of me whenever it’s time to deliver the dress, so I try to take the time to get some good photos of the finished product before she’s gone off to her rightful owner!

All dolled up and in her gown, Michel is absolutely STUNNING! She’s a natural beauty and does not need makeup of any kind, but boy, when she dresses up and gets all dolled up, WOW! Breathtakingly beautiful!

Michel and her best friend, the lovely bride Megan!

Another dream dress come true!! Onwards and Upwards!

The Forest Bride

A dream dress that I never knew about came to life through a lovely lady who trusted me to create her bridal vision.

Alex contacted me through my website inquiring if I would be able to create a bespoke dress she loved for her wedding ceremony taking place in the woods by a waterfall. She wanted a gown with a renaissance feel, nothing wedding traditional, and with a romantic, unique, artistic appeal to it. When she showed me her inspiration gown, I gasped with excitement over the beautiful velvet gown with embroidered decorations on the front and back. Stunning!

She wanted to use velvet for the main fabric, with satin accents. And of course, the appliqués all over the bodice front and back, and extending into the skirt. So not to copy the inspiration dress exactly, she chose a royal blue velvet and a coordinating blue satin for the bands, accents and lining.

We got started right away on the project, having a consultation meeting to discuss her inspirations, her wants and desires out of the dress, fabric sources and pattern ideas. We also came up with a timeline for me to work back from, and I drew up her contract, cost of the dress, and a payment schedule.

I proposed using this dress pattern McCalls 7624 because of the front band neckline was similar to her inspiration dress:

Looking at the line drawings you can see how the front and waist bands are close to one of the main features she wanted out of the dress:

I planned to make the following changes to the pattern to better match her vision:

1. Modify the skirt to not have any waist gathers, be a longer length, and have a slight train. I actually drafted an entirely new skirt pattern from scratch to achieve this.

2: Modify the waist bands to also wrap around to the back of the dress

3: Modify the sleeves to not have the opening, and also be a different shape and add a cuff.

I made the changes to the pattern and made a mock up in muslin.

The original sleeve pattern used to make a different sleeve shape

A fashion illustration is always helpful, and fun!

At the fitting, I took in here and there, but the general shape she was going for was spot on

Getting fitted in muslin, trying out sleeve options and lengths

She already loves it, even in plain muslin

Once she received the fabric and embroidered appliqués she ordered, she brought them over and I made up the shell of the dress and basted it together for her to see it, and to have her place the appliqués where she wanted them on the dress.

The shell of the dress cut out, basted and pinned together

She came by, and using her artistic visions and talents, placed and pinned the appliqués on the dress as she had in mind.

We decided that the cuff in satin with 5 of the vintage buttons would look best

Planning out the button placement of the cuffs

And one button for the the back neck closure (I actually used two of the buttons and made loops here).

The placement of the flying crane appliqués has symbolic meaning

Once all the placement was confirmed, I carefully pinned the appliqués securely to the dress pieces and removed it from the dress form.

All of the appliqués pinned on already looks amazing

The dress pieces removed, separated and ready to be appliquéd

This is where the real work began. I spent literally hours, entire days, early mornings and late nights, sewing on each of the appliqués by hand. The vines took the most time as I sewed each leaf down to the velvet, then carefully trimming away the mesh backing from the appliqué.

Needle and thread, and trimming away the mesh from the appliqué

The cranes needed to be basted down first, then sewn down with tiny stitches, changing thread colors to match the areas, to the shifty velvet

With every step I completed, I kept the bride up to date with my progress how it was going (and also why it was taking so long!)

The appliqués were 90% completely sewn down

And on to the rest of the dress and the lining!

The dress is fully lined in lovely smooth satin.

The sleeves were a big deal as we wanted a slight puff at the shoulder, a drapey lower sleeve with a dramatic cuff with buttons and loops.

I created little “poufs” out of tulle to put into the sleeve head between the velvet and the lining. I made each pouf by cutting an oval shape out of the tulle, folded it and sewed it together to look kind of like a scrunchie or shower pouf, then sewing this to the shoulder seam on the inside of the sleeve. This trick turned out great to create the subtle lift to the shoulder

The light at the end of the tunnel was near (so was the wedding date!). The final touches included inserting the zipper, hand sewing the lining to the inside along the band, and the hem

And sewing in my label of course

After the hem was made for both the dress and the lining, and little tacks sewn in to keep the lining in place, the dress was finally complete!

I was naturally nervous as heck when she was on her way over to pick up her finished dress. She slipped it on and it was PERFECT! Yay!

I felt such a sense of relief that she was so happy with her dress! She looks and feels beautiful in it and that was my goal all along, that is success to me!

My Custom Dressmaking Process: From Start to Finish

Meet the Maker: Stephanie of Love, Stephanie

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a custom dress or outfit made just for you? Have you thought that just buying something off the rack or from a website is good enough and will do for the occasion, but deep down (or not even that deep) you wish you could wear something that fit you perfectly, was made well, is a flattering color on you, and was something you would be comfortable, confident and proud to wear to your event and beyond? Do you want a great dress, top, suit or outfit hanging in your wardrobe that you can reach for again and again and just know it works? If you said “yes!” to all of the above, I would love to be the one to make this dream come true for you!

So, what does this process look like, how does it all happen and how long would it take? It’s this going to cost me an arm and a leg?

For those questions, the answer is: it all depends.

First off, I am a one woman operation (at least for now I am) and only have so much time in a day. My goals for my Love, Stephanie custom sewing business include creating quality, timeless apparel for special clients who recognize the value in a well made custom garment. I use fine quality materials and construction methods, I don’t take on rush jobs, and I don’t take shortcuts. That being said, that is what takes the time to perfect the fit, using smart construction techniques, and all of the education and sewing skills that I have learned over the years that rolls into the lead time and cost of a custom made garment.

Sound intriguing so far? Great! Read on and I’ll walk you through what my typical process looks like from the perspective that includes the client experience and what to expect.

We begin with an initial meeting where I get to know you better, what your ideas and visions are for your custom garment, what your lifestyle is like, and what mood or purpose you’d like to portray through the garment you’ll be wearing.

From there, I build a plan and a timeline to achieve the finished garment before your deadline and get started sourcing fabrics and pattern options that go into making your garment.

I like to create sketches, a mood board, and gather any other ideas and components that go into the creative process of making a successful garment, and share these with you along the way.

After our initial consultation meeting, I gather up all the information and write up a contract that includes all of your contact information, the deadlines, our design concept agreement, project components, costs and payment schedule for you to read over and sign. This is an important step as I want to ensure both of us are in agreement over all of the details in case any questions or concerns should arise.

Then the fun begins! I’ll take all of the body measurements I need from you and get started making the garment.

Using your measurements and a pattern, I cut out and sew up a simplified mock-up garment in muslin fabric to check fit, style preferences and to make sure you are happy with the basic silhouette before cutting into any fashion fabric. At times, an additional muslin, or part if it, needs to made and fitted again if there are a lot of changes that need a review before proceeding.

I check for any fit issues that need to be corrected, and make sure you are happy with the style lines and length

Meanwhile, the fashion fabric that you want, including any lining material, trim and notions needed, is confirmed and purchased. I aim to use the best quality fabric that is within your budget (not included in the cost of my labor) as I truly feel that the fabric makes all the difference in the look and wear of a garment. I prefer to work with natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk and linen, but will consider good quality man made fabrics to sew with such as rayon and synthetic blends.

Fabric choices are important in the outcome of a beautiful garment

Once the muslin is approved and the fabric is all here, I transfer any changes to the pattern, and start cutting!

The beautiful silk georgette is laid out and ready to cut

And sewn (silk is notoriously difficult to sew)

Most times, I have one last fitting of the garment in the fashion fabric to double check the fit, pin the hem, and work out any last details before delivering the finished creation.

And that’s it! Easy, right?

In a nutshell, that’s the process in creating a unique custom garment, made especially just for you! No matter what size or shape you are, it’s an exciting and rewarding experience like no other.

Want to give it a go? Reach out to me and come on by my place with your dream garment vision and we’ll make it happen!

A Birthday Gift to Myself

It’s my birthday and I wanted to take the time out of my busy sewing schedule to make something special for myself. This year, I chose underwear!

I have several bra and panty sewing patterns and kits that I have collected in hopes to sew up pretty underpinnings for myself or others. I just love the pretty laces and fabrics that go into making lingerie sand find that making them up brings me great satisfaction and joy.

For this project, I chose to make the Watson bra and bikini set from https://clothhabit.com/ that I downloaded and printed out in PDF format.

I had some nude colored stretch gallon lace, some mesh and lining also in nude, and the specialty elastics and findings needed to make this set already on hand, so I just got to cutting and sewing this asap to have done in one day for my birthday.

I cut the bra cups strategically so that the pretty scalloped lace edges would be featured on the front and bottom edge of the bra, as well as the bikini.

I cut the same pieces out of lining to give the bra some structure and modesty, and sewed them all together as instructed.

I used my serger for some of the seams, using my handy Wonder Clips so not to sew over any pins.

More serging, using Wonder Clips of course

I got about 1/2 way done, but then had to stop for the night and rest my eyes. Things were going quite well with both parts and I was quite happy to see it coming together, so I pinned what I had done so far to one of my dress forms and called it a night.

After only one broken needle and a little trouble sewing the shifty mesh and lace, I finally got it all finished in time to snap a few phots, shower and wear it out (under my clothes, of course) for my birthday dinner with my dear husband and a few close friends and family members.

It’s a little large for my tiny mannequin, but you get the idea…

Another great birthday make! Cheers!

Luxe Bomber: Worth the Wait

This little gem took me months and months to make, but the actual sewing took only a few weeks to complete. My biggest weakness when it comes to sewing is starting a wonderful and exciting new project, then something else shiny (or someone who’s paying) comes along and I set it aside for far too long. This baby was exactly one of those scenarios.

I love making jackets. They are a big part of my wardrobe and can be easy to sew. They are even easier to sew if you’ve made the same one before, as I did for this bomber jacket pattern. I used Simplicity 8418 pattern for the second time to create this beauty, and it is certainly not the last time.

Now, for the ingredients that make this recipe top notch, I used beautiful silk material, quality threads, and smart sewing techniques. The main fabric for this version I decided to finally use an end remnant of gorgeous silk jacquard labeled from Chanel that I won years ago in a fabric giveaway and was stashing for a special project. I also happened to have enough of a piece of silk lining-weight material in the perfect shade of purple to coordinate with the colors of the Chanel silk, also in my stash (If you don’t know me already, I have a very healthy stash of fabric in my possession).

Of course, I also had Pinterest to add to the inspiration for this creation, which made the decision to cut into this beautiful material more bearable, because after all, you only life once and you can’t take it with you. Here are just a few of the bomber jackets that inspired me:

I got right to cutting out the pattern pieces from the main fabric and the lining, as well as the light weight batting I used to quilt the silk to. The last time I made this pattern, I quilted the entire lining and left the outer side as it were. This time, I wanted the quilting to be part of the texture of the outer garment.

Well, I quilted part of the back of the jacket, and that’s about the time when I got busy with other pressing projects, paying clients, and teaching others to sew, so the jacket partially made and the cut pattern pieces was gently laid aside on the “to be continued” pile. There it sat patiently for months.

Fast forward to October of 2021 when I was planning to attend a conference that involved the professional sewing guild that I belong to, Association of Sewing and Design Professionals or ASDP for short.https://sewingprofessionals.com/. I knew that I wanted to wear garments that I had made to the convention and had a long wish list that I had wanted to create, but for the sake of time, and to tackle my growing pile of UFO’s that stare at me when I’m in my sewing room, and seem to beg for me to just work on them just a little bit, I revisited the silk bomber project and decided it would be a fantastic option for the convention.

Hence, the sewjo for this project sparked a new light in me and I got right back into the groove of quilting this baby and getting it going in time for the convention. Whatever the motivation was, it worked and I pulled through and finished the jacket in time to wear it a couple of times even before having to pack it up and fly to Boise, Idaho for the sewing pro retreat.

Well, the convention was amazing and I got a ton of compliments on my jacket which I was proud (and perfectly comfortable) to wear. Now I call that a job well done and worth the wait!

Red is The Color of Love

It’s been far too long since I have posted anything here on my beloved blog, so I thought it was time to update and refresh with a quick post. What better way to do that with a bright and exciting project that I made for myself for our first wedding anniversary!

So, here she is:

Red maxi dress with flutter sleeve and sash

I cut out and sewed this dress in three days during time after work hours and the weekend before our dinner date, so it was a bit of a rush job. Due to lack of time and general dressmaking laziness, I didn’t make a mock-up, I just went by my body measurements, comparing to the pattern measurements, and a mini tissue fitting (essentially holding the pattern tissue up to myself and eyeballing what I needed to adjust). I added 4 inches to the skirt length knowing I wanted it to be long enough to wear with heels and for it to be floor length. I may add more length next time so it really touches the ground. I also fully lined it (the pattern instructs to just line the bodice) and made French seams for the skirt side seams.

I just love how this dress turned out! It was so comfortable to just slip into, strap on some heels, a pretty necklace and earrings, a dab of Miss Dior perfume at my neck, and DONE!

Yes, I realize that I match my front door.

I used this Simplicity 8832 sewing pattern, view C, for this dress. I just love the simplicity of this pattern (ha, haa, meant to do that) and the lines of the dress design:

Line drawings of Simplicity 8832 pattern

What I am NOT so crazy about is how they styled the pattern cover. I think they could have chose a different fabric, or had multiple versions made up in different fabrics, to show off the designs of this pattern:

I hope that I am not coming off as a snob. My apologies if I am offending anyone, but I just looks a tad, I don’t know, “old lady shower curtain” to me in this particular fabric:

Don’t get me wrong, I love a beautiful floral fabric for a light and airy dress such as this, but I was going for a look more like this:

Or even this:

I suppose I can chalk this one up as a wearable test dress and can plan to make it again in a more luxe fabric for the next time. That is part of the beauty of knowing how to sew and make your own clothes. You get to be the designer and create your own vision! I just love that about sewing and it brings me a great deal of joy and satisfaction.

Meanwhile, happy first anniversary to my loving, cutie-pie husband! It’s been a wonderful first year and I look forward to many, many more!

Back to the drawing board and up to the sewing room as I have a few exciting new client projects that I am working on. Yay!!!

Growing my Business in 2024

I am no business expert, but I have learned a thing or two about running a small business since I went full time as a entrepreneur nearly two years ago. I have learned that it takes long hours, major sacrifices, dedication, hard work and finding ways to get things done faster, better and more efficiently all while trying to spend less money and earn more.

That’s me: Boss Babe Stephanie showing off some of my work!

I am very proud of my business and what I do. I am a designer seamstress and dressmaker, creating custom garments for ladies focused on special occasion, bridal and tailored apparel and offer bridal alterations. I have managed to grow a client base, hone in on couture and quality sewing techniques, get the word out on what I do, decline work that doesn’t fall into my specialties or timeline (or that I simply don’t want to do), open a little boutique space outside of my home, price my products and services accordingly, earn more money year over year, and become better and more experienced with each job that I take in.

I have paid off all of my debt, paid off my car in full, and have a little chunk of savings in the bank that I would like to invest back into in my business.

It’s now up to me to work on my business plan and focus in on how to grow my custom sewing & dressmaking business. I need to sit down and figure out the smartest means where I should invest my money, and that starts with a plan. I have read several books and articles on running and growing a small business, now I need to take what I have learned and apply it to my situation.

A quick shot of me and a couple of dresses I made back in 2012

Although I can’t do all of my ideas with the budget that I have, here are some of the specific ones that I have thought about that I can invest in to make my business run smoother, more efficiently, and make a profit:

*new sewing equipment, namely an industrial sewing machine

*take on an intern or part-time contract employee

*hire a professional accountant to handle business finances

*physically (and mentally) declutter & organize

*automate scheduling

*improve website

*invest in and create sellable inventory-manufacture a small collection

*invest in marketing and advertising

*hire a professional photographer

*market and target customer research

*research and development

*foster newness and excitement

*continued education

*travel

*learn from those who are more skilled and experienced than I am

*hold events to attract new clients, thank existing and previous clients

*network

Me and my models walk the runway in my Love, Stephanie designs 2016

Do you have any good advice for growing a business, taking it to the next level with smart investments? Has something worked for you, or held you back from success? I’d love to learn more about it and try to figure out the best ways to take my business to the next level.

Me finishing up gown I made in 2023 for a special lady Michel. She said to me recently “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that gorgeous in a piece of clothing”. Words to live by!

I know I need help and can’t do alone. I also know that there are success stories and big dreams can come true, it just takes hard work, smart decisions and perseverance. And a plan.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep on plugging away at my existing client needs, holding up my end of the agreement, while trying to create newness and examples of my potential and sharing with my audience. Soon I will be posting about some lovely projects that I have been working on, but have to hold back the excitement until the client’s special occasion occurs so not to spoil the surprise.

Photo shoot dream project come true of a custom gown I made for lovely Payton. More please!

Life is short, time is limited, and I want to make a difference and impact in this world and in the lives of others. Even just a small part, a little influence, make someone smile and feel beautiful in what they are wearing.

That’s all I want out of this life, at least business-wise. I feel strongly that what you wear says a million words and evokes a thousand emotions. So why not that be me to make that a reality!

I make dream garments come true!

Love,

Stephanie

Finding Creative Inspiration and Motivation

When the days are cold, dark and long, the calendar is looking bleak, and my bank account running on low, as with many, I find it quite difficult to find any motivation to go on. I often think to myself, I should just go out and get a “regular” job, show up to work, and collect a paycheck like everyone else does. Then I think again and say to myself, “No way! I am NOT giving up on my dreams!”.

Visual aids such as this help to get my creative mojo going

This is when finding inspiration and motivation to go on is at it’s peak, at least for me. Sometimes I have to dig deep to find some sort of reason to lift myself up. It may be simply financially driven as the bills are due and I need to earn money. I find that I need to take on sewing jobs that I normally would turn away like hemming jeans, fixing repairs, or take in a menswear alteration.

Hemming is boring, but lucky for me, a necessity for most.

Taking on sewing classes helps to bring in a regular paycheck, but it eats into my productive time and also means commuting (yuck). During the slow times may mean doing some marketing, promotions, advertising and work on my social media posts to boost awareness and draw in new business.

An advertisement I had near the end of 2023 in a local publication. This really boosted awareness, inquiries and website clicks, but only had a small ROI

When business is slow and work requests are few and far between, I dig into my own projects and UFO’s (un-finished objects) to try to finish them or revisit a sewing wish list from the past.

Working on a baby quilt project during a snowstorm in Oregon, one of many UFO’s started months ago

I do like to make lists. All kinds of lists. And I write them down in different places and formats. For example, I jot down a daily to do list on a notepad when I am really busy or have a lot to accomplish in a day or week; on printer paper pinned to my corkboard in my sewing studio, I make a list of the current custom client projects that I have going on and cross them off as I finish them; we make grocery shopping lists on a sticky notes; a “honey-do” list for projects around the house on a dry-erase board we have in the kitchen. I keep a teaching notebook where I jot down ideas for my students, essential sewing tools to have in their kits, things I want to be sure to demonstrate in class, and good quiz questions to ask them to keep them on their toes.

I own several sketchbooks in various sizes around my house or a tiny one in my purse to draw out fashion designs I have in mind that I want to create. I have many other types of lists from annual grand sewing aspirations to step-by-step garment construction tasks for a specific project, or even to what to bring on vacation list added to my cell phone Notes app. At times, I have so many ideas and goals I want to get to swimming around in my head, that it keeps me up at night and I have to get up and write them down on a notepad I keep in my night stand so that I can relax and sleep in peace.

An example of my note taking, list making and sketchbook routine one morning over coffee

From the lists, notes and sketches that I have created and saved over the years, I go back and look at them regularly to refresh my memory on things I want to accomplish and get inspiration to start a new project. I have significant goals and aspirations for my lifetime, but nothing too colossal. I don’t need to be rich and famous (Well, being rich wouldn’t suck. Famous? Meh). I just would like to make some sort of difference during my lifetime, leave some sort of mark on life and the lives of others. I’d like to leave a positive remembrance behind as I don’t have any children. I suppose that remembrance of me will consist of the special things that I have created for myself and others, the small difference I made to the fit of a special garment for someone, or the way that I may have made them feel or think about by teaching something, a thoughtful gesture or writing that I have come up with.

Then there comes the hard part: accomplishing. Finding the motivation and drive to get things done is the biggest hurdle for me. I don’t consider myself a lazy person, and find it rare to be bored. I just tend to dream big and then majorly procrastinate with making the dreams a reality. Making the deadlines for client projects are the top priority and have little room for negotiation, so I HAVE to make the time for them, especially brides. It’s all of the rest of the projects, goals and aspirations that get tossed around, started, passed over, not finished or ignored completely.

So where do I find inspiration and the motivation to get things done? I have a few means to get myself inspired that usually work for me: I start with books and magazines. I love a good book whether it be a great novel, a big colorful book about a famous designer, artist or sewing or cooking technique, or a travel destination that I aspire to see. A trip to the library or bookstore is exciting to me. I can spend hours browsing through the topics and occasionally I pick up a good read to bring home to add to my collection.

I love books, and the bookshelves I have invested in to display my collection

Magazines have always been an attractive means of getting information and inspiration for me with the glossy pages, large ads and interesting articles. I have accumulated a collection of fashion and interior design publications and save the ones I find most interesting. I have pages torn out of spreads or articles that I wanted to keep which I store in page protectors and binders full of them from decades back that I like to flip through on occasion to remind myself of styles and images that I love.

These are just a few of my magazines. Please ignore the ancient wine stain on the dingy white carpet-we desperately need new flooring!

Of course, a trip to a museum or art gallery really gets my mojo going. Luckily in the city of Portland and surrounding towns, there are plenty of opportunities to find exhibits, shows, events and shops where other creative and talented people display their work. Art exhibits, public sculptures, murals, gardens and home tours happen year round. I recently went to the Portland Art Museum (twice actually) to see the African Fashion exhibit which was marvelous! It was such a treat to see the work and creative expression of colors, texture and interesting garment making techniques. I came home feeling like I, too, could create garments that have such vibrancy and expression, if I set my mind to it and put in the time.

A few of the amazing garments at the African Fashion exhibit at Portland Art Museum

Now, with a coffee refill in my mug, and a healthy to-do list in front of me, I can go on with my day and get cracking on my goals and priorities that need my time and attention. Writing down my goals and sharing my aspirations with dear friends and family, as well as my blog readers and followers, helps keep me in check and on task to reach them, so thank you. I hope that this little check-in also helps you to find motivation to be creative, to set goals, make a plan, and to go for it! We will all be better humans for feeling that sense of accomplishment and pride.

Onward and upward!

A Reflection of 2023

As I pack up the Christmas decorations and make new lists and goals for 2024, I like to take a moment to reflect on the year of 2023 in the first few days of the new year.

2023 overall was a very busy year filled with new adventures, many successes and several failures. I made LOTS of clothing including dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets, tops, pants, coats, menswear, accessories, pajamas and a few home decor and gift items. I made things for clients, myself and for family & friends. Lots of alterations came my way from beautiful bridal gowns, tailored suits, dresses, separates, added embellishments and more! Some big successes, some major disappointments and most somewhere in between.

If I look at strictly business results, I would consider the year to have been the best yet for Love, Stephanie. I met many new clients, had several returning clients, and lots of clients come to me through referrals and word of mouth. I also was able to have a couple of small advertisements with links to my website in a local publication which definitely gave a boost in interest in what I was up to and several inquiries for custom sewing and alterations. Many of the clients heard about me through social media, a Google search and even via Yelp which all ultimately directed them to my website lovestephanieappparel.com.

Speaking of my website, I was able to make updates and improvements by myself or with the help of a paid webmaster. One of the biggest improvements came from using images from a photo shoot I had in April. For months I planned this photo shoot complete with a gorgeous gown that I made, a lovely model (my friend’s daughter), a pro photographer (also a good friend), a team of assistants and makeup artists (more friends) at an amazing location out in Central Oregon. It was an entire planned process from the mood board, meetings, sewing, fittings and travel, and was an amazing and fun job to accomplish that I want to do on an annual basis!

Behind the scenes at the photo shoot: so fun!

Maintaining the website took work and attention. I added new photos of my work, maintained (and raised!) my prices, updated contacts, and created links to this blog (trying to keep up with the blogging isn’t easy!) and my other social media profiles, as well as keep my audience engaged with my newsletter and blog posts. In 2023 I had record traffic on my site. See below for some interesting analysis!

I keep track of all of my income and numbers as they happen on my computer so that I can keep on eye on progress and be prepared for filing taxes. Although I don’t consider myself a “numbers” person or have the ability to make big bucks or manage to keep myself on budget, I do like to analyze the numbers and try to figure out what the numbers are telling me, thanks to my employment history in retail, buying and sales analytics. So getting into some statistics, here are some of the results of my year in business and web analytics:

2023 Love, Stephanie Analytical Breakdown

Income 2019-2023
an increase of 14.5% over LY, +509% over 2019!

# of Individual Clients:

2023: 65

2022: 52

Variance: up +25%

Income by Client Type:

Client type consists of the type of sewing I was commissioned to do for clients, including alterations (bridal and otherwise), custom sewing creations and the bridal alteration fee I charge for a bridal fitting appointment.

Now, for some website stats to share looking at the entire year of 2023 (Source: Wix):

Site Sessions year over year: 1,023, up +67%

Unique visitors: 801, up +57%

Looking at the chart you can see the big spikes occurring in website traffic over the year. My reasonings for the spikes is when I posted new photos and content, sent out a newsletter, made an announcement, attended an event, handed out business cards, posted advertisements in the local publication, and search inquiries before and during prom and bridal season when people are most likely looking for a seamstress to hire for alterations and custom sewing. That big spike in November is when I announced the opening of my new studio location. This coming Saturday 1/6/24 is the grand opening of the location, so exciting things are coming my way, I can just feel it!

More Web Analytics (source: Wix)

Looking at the top traffic sources to my website, Google takes the lead with the most referrals, up a whopping +137% over LY and 40% of the total leads! I have a Google page for my business Love, Stephanie. Click on the link to see my page where I post about what services I provide, the area that I serve, photos of my work and reviews from my clients.

My profile photo on Google-one of my faves taken by my husband Tom

Clearly that is working and people are able to find out about me by a Google search. The other sources seem to be working as well, including people directly typing in my web address to find me which is quite nice!

Teaching sewing classes has also boosted awareness for my skills and abilities. Although most of my students aren’t looking for a seamstress to create things for them to wear or alter their clothing, they are curious to learn how to sew, know more about me, they check out my credentials, look into my educational and work background and follow me on social media. All of which can turn into leads, recommendations and future business, or even potential future employees or interns when the need arises, so I encourage them to go check me out and keep in touch.

Some students have left me great reviews and seek out assistance after class has ended if they are stuck with a sewing question, and sometimes even share their sewing successes and progress which is absolutely delightful!

I also find that wearing my makes out to events, parties, classes, meetings or just around running errands helps to spread the word. I often get stopped by someone who admires my outfit, wondering where I got it which is an amazing and flattering feeling! I carry business cards with me wherever I go, and hand them out to anyone who asks.

So all of the time I spend making my own outfits has definitely helped build my skills and confidence, allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them on myself, as well as boost self-advertising. Plus I have built (and will continue to create) a wardrobe of clothing that I enjoy wearing and is uniquely mine!

Me wearing an entire outfit of clothing I made, and happens to be the final makes of 2023 for New Year’s Eve!

Goals for 2024

As I look ahead for the next year and beyond, I have made some goals to grow and build business based on successes, as well as learning from failures:

-Beat LY’s numbers!

-Create dynamic marketing strategies using social media

-Develop compelling marketing and advertising campaigns

-Take better photos, create interesting video content

-Plan an on-location photo shoot with my apparel, a model, a pro photographer

-Maintain website with fresh ideas, set up online e-commerce shop, SEO

-Reach new clients and retain past ones

-Maintain detailed client list and build client database

-Build client analysis data for more charts and graphs

-Network, attend events, make connections

-Utilize new store front space to meet clients, display merchandise, host events, grow client base

-Create a business plan including plans to grow and build a line with steady inventory

-Organize schedule and client meeting calendar, time management

-Organize and maintain a clean work space-

-Use materials and supplies I already own, reduce and avoid spending on new ones

-Continue and grow contributions and efforts to ASDP board member responsibilities as VP of Communications

-Complete MSDP Sewing and Design Professional Certification

-Research and develop sewing skills namely tailoring, couture sewing, intricate details, pattern making and embroidery

-Keep up with fashion trends as well as continue to study fashion history

-Create beautiful, high quality garments that I have designed and sewn

-Complete garments that I have started

-Enter sewing and design challenges and fashion shows

-Offer excellence customer service and do my best possible work with each client

-Continue to teach others sewing and making clothes

-Continue to draw and create fashion illustrations

-Manage stress through healthy eating, exercise and work/life balance

-Smile, be kind to others, love one another, and be grateful for the life and opportunities that I have!

A Dressy Coat That Makes A Statement

Nicole is a special client who heard about me through word of mouth (one of the best ways to gain new business in my opinion!). She reached out to me, sending me a message on Instagram, looking to have a coat custom made for her. She knows how to sew, which is so incredibly flattering that she asked me to do this project, however did not want to take on this big of a project for herself and felt it best to leave it to an expert.

She wanted a dressy coat to wear this winter as for her job she appears in court at times and attends executive meetings often and wanted a really nice coat to wear that makes a statement and can make the outfit, so to speak.

I was so excited that she asked me to take on the task! I got to work right away finding out what her desires were, finding inspirational photos and images, searching through patterns, and creating a PowerPoint presentation much like a mood board to present to her over an online zoom meeting.

Girl Boss prepped and ready for the Design Meeting on Zoom

I like to do these presentations for clients to show them my thought process and what I am able to achieve for them. I include images, features and benefits of patterns I have chosen, fabrics, key dates, deadlines and a working timeline, and my estimated price, all in one presentation. We go over the slides, discuss the options and make decisions together. Then I take that information and get to work. It works out great for me as I can organize my thoughts and demonstrate what I can do for them, and my clients love it and feel that I take them seriously and really care about making their project special and personal.

After going through her inspirations, patterns and examples of coats that I have made, Nicole decided on this dressy coat pattern that came out in Fall 2021 from Butterick Patterns:

I love this pattern! It features lovely fit and flare princess seams in the front and back of the coat, creating a vintage-inspired swingy look. The shawl collar, angled sleeve cuffs, welt pocket flaps and covered buttons are made in a contrast fabric for an elegant touch.

This style of coat is reminiscent of the beautiful coat and matching dress that Jill Biden wore for the Presidential Inauguration. Her elegant outfit was designed by Gabriella Hearst and is now featured at the Smithsonian along with her other outfits worn on that day:

Jill Biden wears a dressy coat and matching dress designed by Gabriella Hearst on Inauguration Day January 2021

After taking Nicole’s measurements, purchasing the pattern and cutting out the pattern pieces, I made up a muslin mock up of the pattern and had Nicole come and try it on. She wanted the neckline raised a few inches, so this was nice to get and idea of how that would look:

Although it sort of looks like a lab coat, the pattern fits pretty well just out of the envelope!

The princess seams really create a lovely shape over her figure

Nicole attended the Sewing and Quilting Expo in Puyallup, WA and purchased a beautiful cherry red wool yardage for her coat. She brought me the whole bolt, and we also went fabric shopping together, choosing the lining and contrast trim fabric for the design. She chose a lovely animal printed faux fur for the contrast trim and a caramel brown rayon for the lining. So elegant!

Color matching the thread to the coat material

After the fitting of the muslin mock-up and making a few tweaks to the pattern, I cut out and sewed up the main shell of the coat for her to try on for fit and to see the coat partially made:

The coat partially made, ready for a quick fitting

Once Nicole was good with the progress, I set up my sewing machine and got to work finishing the coat. Hours were spent cutting the lining, constructing the collar, cuffs and pocket welts out of the faux fur (that stuff makes a huge mess and gets everywhere!) and making the cute covered buttons:

The fur covered buttons look like little fuzzy critters!

I installed the welt pockets which I think were the most difficult part of the coat. They had to be at the same exact spot on the coat, and the same exact size and shape to look right. Cutting into the fabric right on the outside of the panel of the coat was nerve wracking to say the least! There is NO room for error and you can’t “un cut” it to correct any mistakes.

The fur trim looks SO good, but is definitely a pain to work with

The fabric is heavy and thick, leaving bulky seams to deal with and the need to hand sew in many spots to have the best results.

Sewing on the covered buttons was challenging!

My favorite part of making custom clothing for clients are the special touches I like to add to the project. For Nicole, I added a faux leather piping trim to the inside of the coat between the facing and the lining. This adds no purpose to the construction, just a little finishing touch and pop of color and texture to the inside of the coat:

Black piping added to the inside of the coat sandwiched between the lining and the facing

Sewing the lining hem by hand took about an hour, but so worth it!

Since I wanted to add another personal touch to the coat and I have the right machinery and plenty of thread, I decided to add a fancy embroidered monogram to the inside lining at the back of the coat, a secret little feature that she will see every time she slips on this beauty:

An embroidered monogram inside the coat for that special touch

After months of work, hours spent sewing by machine and by hand, and physically managing this big project, it turned out beautifully and I am proud as well as excited to hand it off for her to wear and enjoy!

The shape is so elegant, timeless and tailored

Colorful Bride Christine

One day I got a call from a young lady named Christine, looking for a designer and seamstress to take her already purchased wedding dress, alter it, add to it, and transform it into a unique gown. From the moment she said “I want a colorful wedding!”, I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to hear her ideas!

We had our first meeting and she shared her thoughts, bringing along her friend Bonnie for her input and creative ideas. Christine imagined her ballgown shaped wedding dress to be embellished with embroidered flowers, having flowers and greenery appear to “grow” up her dress, somewhat as in this image she pinned on her Pinterest board:

She scouted out, found and purchased a colorful embroidered mesh fabric on Etsy, perfect for both cutting out the flowers from the mesh background, and also to be used to make part 2 of her bridal look: a tulle and organza bridal skirt and a custom-made top of TBD style to be worn with the skirt:

As soon as she received the fabric in the post, we planned a meeting and got to work with the creative projects. She invited her mom, friend and future mother-in-law, all to come over to my house and get to work cutting out the individual flowers, carefully trimming them from the mesh and separating them. We spread out over my living room floor, got out sharp little scissors and got to snipping & sipping champagne.

Meanwhile, Christine also wanted me to make a top for her to wear with the bridal skirt, as well as do some alterations to both the bridal skirt and the dress. We decided on a bodysuit for the top to wear with the skirt, and I got to work making a mock-up of the bodysuit for fit and aesthetics. Well, of course I didn’t consider the lack of stretch that the mesh has, much less than that of the spandex material we chose for parts of the bodysuit.

Mistake #1

It took some time and effort to make this garment. I started with a bodysuit sewing pattern, choosing this great Belen bodysuit by Masin pdf pattern that had sleeves and a boat neckline.

Planning the placement of the flower motifs within the bodice front of the bodysuit was a little challenge, mostly as I was trying to get her favorite flowers to be closest to her face, but also appear to be randomly scattered and not placed like pasties right smack on her boobies:

Using the bodice pattern piece of the lining to find a good placement of the flowers in the fabric.

Fast forward to the bodysuit being nearly finished and ready to try on. The bodysuit looked great, and the mockup wasn’t half bad either. Well, the fitting didn’t go so well and the bodysuit was way too tight. Like, she couldn’t move her arms to save her life kind of tight. Ugh:

The colorful mesh body and the mock-up. Looks great! The fit, no so great…

Now all of my problem solving superpowers were jerked awake, stepping up and getting stuff done!

I wrote a “to-do” list (in order to keep my head strait, and to avoid having bad dreams, nightmares actually, about work, this a must for me):

Christine Chenderlin

Bridal Gown & Bridal Skirt project proposal

Wedding Date: June 18, 2023

Projects:

Strapless bridal gown alterations & additions
1. Added interior hanging straps
2. Added bra cups
3. Hem entire gown, including outer layer, tulle and lining layers,removing train and sewing original fringe trim back on to hem
4. Applique additional fabric over entire gown
  1. Hourly rate of $60/hr for sewing work
  2. ETA hours tbd
  3. Help from friends
5. Add side seam pockets
6. Make a matching shrug from purchased fabric (or sleeves from cut off fabric)
7. Make wide straps out of lining
  1. Edit: made straps out of lace and lining

Bridal Skirt Alterations & additions
1. Remove back zipper and install corset style back closure
2. Hem skirt, removing some tulle from underskirt
3. Hem outer layer of skirt
4. Make a crop top from purchased fabric to wear with skirt
  1. Edit: made bodysuit from embroidered mesh

OK this is more of an outline, but I like to get my thoughts out of my head and down on paper, in an organized, shareable format, so that I can move on, plan out my time, and get to work. It’s the only way I can maintain sanity and work productively as a one woman business.

I also had a time tracker, price list, ideas, images and other notes in my dossier for Christine that I keep for each client. Keeping organized, on track, and accountable is key with helping clients such as her. She had been planning this special day for months and I was a big part of making her bridal visions come to fruition, so there was NO room for error! No pressure!

On to the gown. I added pockets, shoulder straps, bra cups, interior hanging straps, removed the entire train, made the gown floor length, hemmed it, stitched the delicate lace fringe trim back on all around the hem, plus a did a few little stitches and repairs to the lovely large floral gown.

Strap style decisions: this image was sent to Christine to choose her preference for fabrication for the added shoulder straps. Also, I added additional hanging straps (there were 2 wimpy ones included in the RTW gown that barely held up the dress on a hanger) using ribbon inside the gown to support the weight of the dress while hanging. This has become one of my favorite additions to my custom alterations, and incorporated into my bespoke garments for a little touch of luxury and garment care.

I carefully slit open the side seams in the skirt outer and lining layers of her ballgown, adding in deep pockets made from lining fabric cut from her hem, so she can stash a tissue, lip gloss, and gift money!

The dress was handed off to her friends and family who were more than happy to pitch in and help her with DIY wedding stuff (and there was A LOT of DIY wedding stuff!). Like little Disney forest fairy Godmothers, they sewed on those flowers lickety-split at record speeds, creating a lovely placed, yet random, flower pattern all over the skirt of her dress. She twirled in her dreamy dress and we all gasped! Super cool!

So pretty!!!! They did a great job sewing on all the flower appliques! Christine was delighted and was so excited to wear her gorgeous dress!

Next, she wanted a shrug of sorts to cover her shoulders, so she chose a pretty satin to match the dress and I made a simple, yet ladylike, lined shrug for her and it worked, sort of.

Mistake #2

Ugh, WHY???? This shrug was the biggest obstacle in this whole idea. No, I take that back. the bodysuit was a bigger obstacle to overcome. The shrug was runner up. For some reason, I could NOT get a nice looking fit on this darn shrug! I made the darn thing 3x and still made her cry. I felt like the crappiest person on earth for not being able to make her happy, plus the bodysuit was giving her a major wedgie and she couldn’t raise or move her arms, so panic set in.

The shrug was just not fitting her well or staying up on her shoulders, which was the entire point of making it. Ugh….

Well I managed to alter the sleeve by adding in a panel to make it wider and not 100% cut off her circulation. I also added a gusset to the bodysuit side seam, just so it was bearable and she could move in it (kind of). A center back zipper in the bodysuit also helped getting in and out of it.

A strip of fabric added under the sleeve seam to add some space for her arm.

As for the skirt, I added a lace-up corset back closure as the zipper was too small and that worked out pretty well:

The zipper in the skirt was replaced with a hand-made corset back opening. Also the center back zipper of the bodysuit helped her in and out of it. Also the skirt got a hem and a layer of tulle removed to reduce fullness.

Fast forward to wedding time! The wedding was held at a wonderful rustic resort in the mountains of Oregon. Out of town guests were arriving, family was wrapping up last minute details and enter frazzled and frantic Stephanie!! I drove an hour to Welshes, Oregon to her venue the day before the wedding day, finished bodysuit and shrug I made for her in hand, ready to hand off then disappear, out of her hair and let her enjoy her big event. I HAD to make sure she was ready to go, had all of her wedding outfits ready to wear, and she was happy.

Mistake #1 & Mistake #2 Backfire

She tried on her outfits, things were OK (not perfect or entirely comfortable), she looked over to me, aaaaand she cried. Sobbed really. I felt like the biggest a-hole let-down on the planet. The fit SUCKED and she was so uncomfortable! AAAGGGGHHHH!

100% MY BAD

Her friends from out of town were now arriving, she was crying (not tears of joy), and I felt like an idiot and failure. I offered what I could and said I’d do what ever I could possibly do to make it work. I had some more fabric back home, we quickly found a sewing pattern Bolero Jacket 2202 by Lekala she liked for the shrug, and one I could make up over night and drive back to her in the morning. Talk about last minute!

The Lekala Bolero Jacket pattern seemed to be the perfect solution!

I left here there crying on her friends shoulder, got home, started making another NEW shrug (version #4 I think?) with the Lekala, was in touch with her best buddy Bonnie, keeping her posted with my progress, working hard to get something done that Christine would be happy with and make her not totally hate me on her most special day.

Mistake #3

Last minute Lekala shrug jacket in progress, literally graded out to her size and slapped together in attempt to please. Fail!

I showed these photos to liaison Bonnie and she simply replied “you can stop sewing now.”

Now it was my turn to break down and cry. Literally cry. I was exhausted, crushed, disappointed, and just DONE!

So I wiped my tears, turned off my sewing machine, stuffed all of Christine’s fabric scraps, bits and pieces of undone shrugs and bodysuit parts, and a shrug that was OK from version # 1, into a bag and set my alarm to get up at the crack of ass to drive it and hour away to her on her wedding day. In the morning, I drove an hour there again, cowardly dropped of her bag of stuff at the hotel front desk and tiptoed backwards outta there, leaving a note and texting Bonnie when I was well on my way home. So, so bad, and NOT ever they way I intended to conduct business, but I just had way too much shame and couldn’t face her and her family & friends again, the disappointment dressmaker chick that made bride cry.

Well I must say, she pulled herself together and looked AMAZING on her wedding day! She was radiant in her custom designed gown, wearing one of the 4 shrugs I made her and looking fabulous walking down the DIY isle to marry the love of her life 🙂

Simply stunning!!! Cheers to the newlyweds!

She sent me photos and invited me to her share with her Google Photos album. She really pulled it off and looked radiant and so happy in her colorful bridal outfits! All of the decorations, accessories and details that were DIY’d from her family and friends were so incredibly touching and turned out beautifully.

Overall, I am SO grateful and happy that she reached out, chose me and trusted to help her achieve her dream bridal looks. It was down to the wire and incredibly stressful (for everyone!), but it was SO fun to work with her as she is delightful, creative, intelligent and just a great person to have met, plus her mom, mother in law and friend were ALL so kind, fun and caring. It all worked out in the end and she was stunning in her dresses for her wedding day.

Lessons learned:

-Leave PLENTY of time to work and to make mistakes

-Make a list, or several lists, and make plenty of notes as needed

-Keep the client informed and posted with all decisions as well as pitfalls

-Wake up early, stay up late, keep focused and get it done

-Treat all clients projects as if they were my own projects

-Make smart and creative problem solving decisions

-Keep trying the best you can to get it right and please your client

-Work smarter, not harder

-Don’t be afraid to charge for my time

-Sometimes you deserve a break, rest, nourishment and praise : you are human after all

A Beautiful Heirloom Bride

Like a beautiful breath of fresh air, Peyton came to my studio via word of mouth and brightened up my life! She is a lovely, fun & fresh young lady with long dark hair and a beautiful warm smile.

She had with her two dresses: one from her grandmother’s wedding from the 1940’s, and one that belonged to her great-grandmother for her wedding dating back to the 1920’s! There also were a couple of bridal accessories in the garment bag including sheer gloves and a detachable collar with lace edging and covered buttons. She wanted to use the dresses in some way to create a dress for her own wedding. She had been given permission from her family to use the dresses in any way that she wanted, but with the condition that she incorporate parts of the dresses into her own wedding dress.

She sent me some ideas of what she wanted for her dress: Something simple for the top, not fussy, and a tea-length skirt. Just pretty, romantic and comfortable.

Some images of the dress she wanted, plus her wearing the current dress.

The lace from the bodice of her grandmother’s dress was unusable as it was discolored and sadly disintegrating from age. The skirt, however, was in good condition and made of a nice quality silk chiffon and lined in a lightweight silk material.

She trusted me with her heirloom dresses and I got to work deconstructing her grandmother’s dress. We decided that great-grandmother’s dress was far too discolored and not a good shade of white to use, so we left that one in-tact.

I ever so carefully removed the vintage stitches, many of them hand-sewn, separating the bodice from the skirt. Once the skirt was off, I overlocked the very top edge of the skirt to give it stability and keep it together for what was coming next for it. A bath!

I gently laundered the detached skirt in my clean bathtub in warm water with Woolite and a sprinkle of Oxyclean, gently swishing it in the suds and rinsing it out with warm water. The bath water was pretty dingy after all of these decades! After pressing out the dampness in a clean white towel, I then laid out the skirt to air dry on my drying rack.

Once the skirt was completely dry, I hung it on a skirt hanger and carefully steamed it out with my handy dandy steamer machine. I love that thing! The skirt came out like a dream! It was soft, flowy, fresh and pretty. Best of all, the wrinkles, dingy hue and “old lady” smell magically disappeared! Horray!

The clean skirt, just before steaming, and attempting to even out the hem

Meanwhile, Peyton had homework to do involving purchasing a new lace material that she wanted for her custom-made bodice to be attached to grandma’s skirt. She found a lovely floral lace fabric and some lining that she delivered to me to be sewn up into a fitted bodice that I had already made a muslin mock up to her liking.

Fitting time! This is always an exciting, and totally nerve-wracking, stage in the dressmaking process. The bodice is mocked up in muslin and pinned to the skirt. So far so good!

After the fitting and approval of the work so far, I got straight into cutting out the bodice in lace and began to construct it.

Here I attempt to do a lace overlay hidden seam. Could be better, but I tried! — An attempt at making a hidden seam in the lace.

Bra cups added to the interior of the bodice between the layers of lining. — Bra cups sewn into the interior of the bodice

Fast forward to the dress being close to finished, I added the final touches with a new zipper, buttons from grandma’s gloves and a new little ribbon belt. I the share photos with the bride and schedule the last fittings and deadline.

The interior of the dress including a ribbon stay, hanging loops and an old version of my Love, Stephanie label.

I love to present my custom-made garments to clients in a garment bag embroidered with a monogrammed initial.

I was just so touched and honored that Peyton came to me to create this special and sentimental wedding dress for her. I loved working with her, her family and loved ones. She is a delightful and beautiful person and I am touched to have been a part of her wedding!

Embroidered Floral Gown of Dreams

I dream of creating beautiful and elegant evening gowns, but rarely find an occasion for them, so the visions just sit in my head and sometimes make it to a sketch, but rarely go further than that.

I dream of making beautiful bridal gowns, ones that are interesting and unique, perhaps made in colors or prints other than the traditional white. Bringing in texture, color, design details that bring excitement, joy and romance to the occasion.

One occasion that came to mind that I could create a gorgeous dress for an actual wearer was senior prom in May 2023 for my friend’s daughter Payton! I’ve known Payton since she was about 9 or 10, meeting her when my good friend Kristin was dating Payton’s dad Scott. Kristin and Scott got married at a beautiful destination wedding in Tulum, Mexico which I attended, and had the honor of making little fascinators for both Kristin and Payton to wear at the wedding! So fun!

A feather and rhinestone fascinator I made for young Payton.

The feather and tulle fascinator I made for Kristin

Fast forward 8 years, Payton has grown into a lovely young lady, quiet, intelligent and thoughtful, tall and slim, and just beautiful! She was perfect for my vision, and could use a new dress for her upcoming prom. I had a muse that was willing to put up with the process for months, come to my house for fittings, and model my creation to help spread the word. A perfect trade!

Pinterest has been a great resource to find inspiration and store ideas. I visit the website a few times a week to recall what I have saved and see what might be new for ideas, mostly for sewing, but also for cooking, organizing, exercise and more. I have boards for these topics, and my sewing wish lists are broken down by type of garment. I also create and share boards with my dressmaking clients to keep together what direction we are going for the project together for reference.

This recent dressmaking project has been in the works for months. I created a Pinterest board to house my ideas and visions of the outcome for an embroidered mesh gown for Payton who was willing to be my model and muse for this dress. The entire goal was to make it in time for her to wear to her senior prom in May with the intention of showcasing my work and doing some free marketing for my dressmaking business, Love, Stephanie.

Here are some of my ideas for this gown that I have pinned on Pinterest :

I love the all over 3-D floral effect of this gown.

I really like the embroidery on this gown.

The floral mesh and shape of this gown is gorgeous.

I began looking for fabrics that would aid in this vision. Knowing that this embroidered mesh look is very much in fashion nowadays, I started searching at my local fabric stores, but didn’t find anything that was of decent quality or not extremely expensive. I searched online and found this embroidered floral appliqué mesh fabric in two color ways on the app AliExpress for $14.37 a yard and it was perfect!

I liked them both so much and ordered 7 yards of each. I figured I could give Payton a choice of which color she liked best, plus use the one she didn’t choose for another dress and create a mini collection using the same fabric in two ways:

As soon as it arrived all the way from China, I contacted Payton and her step mom, my good friend Kristin, to show them the fabric, let her choose her favorite and start looking for a lining.

The fabric looks amazing and attention grabbing just draped on my dress form over some white muslin!

We went off to my local favorite fabric store and found a nice lining material to go under the sheer fabric. We looked for a color that would match her skin tone and had a lot of fun while we shopped.

Approved! We found a perfect skin tone match!

With the fabric choices checked off the list, I then got to work making a mock up of the dress in muslin. I should of course mention what pattern I chose to use. I had this McCalls M7927 pattern designed by David Tutera in my pattern stash of special occasion dress that I had been wanting to make.

The line drawings of the pattern shows the simple shape of the dress and of course, the train which is amazing!

I chose this pattern for the lovely low V neckline, the fitted skirt with the slit and the train. I have been wanting to design more bridal gowns and thought this pattern would be good practice for construction and working with overlays and layers of fabric.

As I didn’t want an exact match to the pattern, I made a few little changes to the design. I raised the front V so that it didn’t go all the way down to the navel, and I chose not to have the little panel inset that was an option on the bodice, although considered it as maybe a sheer mesh insert there and tabled the idea. I also lowered the back neckline to a low V for more drama from the backside.

Payton came back to my studio for her muslin fitting which was quite successful. She slipped into the gown easily and it looked great on her, just in muslin! I only needed to make a few tweaks to the fit of the bodice, and lengthen the skirt to accommodate the shoes she’d probably be wearing with the gown.

I needed to adjust the neckline a bit, and raise it for a little modesty

The low back and the train was going to be SO pretty!

Just the muslin mockup, sewn up and placed on my dress form, looks beautiful!

OK with the fitting out of the way, it was time to get started cutting out this GIANT dress!

Thank goodness I have the floor space to lay out and cut this monster!

Cutting out the HUGE skirt pieces of this dress was quite the challenge. I had to be strategic about it, and part of the back panel of the skirt didn’t quite fit on to the part of the fabric with the embroidery, so I had to cut it in the plain mesh edge and later overlay scraps of the embroidered parts on by hand. More on that later.

Cutting the bodice was a breeze as the pattern pieces are quite narrow and easily fit on to the fabric. I was able to be more strategic with the floral placement on the bodice and choose more of the red flowers near to her face as those were her favorite colors in the fabric.

Once I cut out the pattern pieces in the mesh, I had to cut the same pattern pieces in the underlining that went directly under the mesh, and also the lining. Lots of cutting which was not fun, back breaking actually, but it had to be done.

The bodice has a dart in it, which creates shape over a curved area, but also folds in the floral design when sewn. So to disguise the fold of the flower once I sewed the dart, I “patched” over the area by hand sewing a flower cut from a scrap of the fabric over the darts.

The next step was to underline the mesh pattern pieces with the flesh colored underling fabric, which as a crepe knit material with a slight stretch to it. Each piece was layered and basted (sewn with long stitches) together by hand to underline the entire dress. A long and tedious process for sure, but necessary to give structure and opacity to the delicate mesh.

You can see the mesh and underlining basted together in this image

After the pattern was fully underlined and the bodice and skirt were sewn together, I had another fitting with Payton to make sure all was good before adding the lining and installing the zipper.

At the final fitting, deciding on the bustle placement.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the mesh couldn’t quite fit on the pattern during the cut out process, so I had to go back and patch over some areas by hand to make it look correct. It’s hard to see in this photo, but I essentially hand sewed an area of mesh with flowers to the blank areas, carefully going around the motifs and cutting away the doubled up layered areas. This took a while, but was necessary to not have a big bald spot on the back of the dress.

You can really see the “bald” area on the upper right side of the back of the skirt in this photo

It’s not easy to see what I am doing here, but that’s the point!

Once the fitting happened, it was time to sew together the lining and install it into the dress. I knew that this dress was going to be heavy to wear and drag on the ground, so I made sure to add hanging loops to the interior of the lining and a bustle to the long train.

I make most of my regular income altering bridal and special occasion gowns and dresses, so I get to see the insides of these dresses and how they are built to be pretty on the outside and functional on the inside. Most long dresses have some sort of hanging straps sewn to the inside of them to hang them up and prevent falling off the hanger and stretching out the shoulders. I love incorporating these little details on the interior of dresses that I make as I feel it adds that little touch of thoughtfulness and luxury to the dress.

For Payton’s gown, I chose a wide satin ribbon to make the hanging loops for the bodice and a narrow satin ribbon for the wrist and hanging loop for the train. Both ribbons are not seen from the outside, but I chose a nude color that matched the lining, just to be more inconspicuous.

I sewed these ribbons in, at a measured length for the area in particular, into the seams of the lining as I was sewing it together. I then also tacked the lining to the inside of the dress at the seams so that they wouldn’t pull apart and the whole dress would act as one in these areas. The same holds true for the one-point over bustle I made using little hooks and eyes, reinforced with a button underneath, as I often do for a bridal gown alteration.

The dress hanging, using the interior loops for support

You can see the interior loop of the train doing it’s job!

And the pretty satin lining, also doing it’s job!

Not shown are little foam bra cups sewn in between the lining and the interior of the dress. She isn’t busty, but needed some cup support for modesty and all as there is NO way she could wear a bra with this dress! I considered also adding boning in the bodice, but nixed that idea as she really didn’t need it.

With the dress finally done and prom rapidly approaching, I was able to recruit my amazing friends to help me plan and execute a photo shoot featuring Payton in the gown. My husband and I own a second home in Sunriver, Oregon, a beautiful and popular resort area out in Central Oregon, that we rent out on Airbnb, but also love to stay there whenever we can. It’s a great home, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sleeps 8 guests. We were able to have Payton, her dad, stepmom, little sister, as well as my friends Mark and Julie all come and stay with us at the house and participate with the photo shoot. Mark is the photographer, his wife (and my good friend) Julie is his assistant, and of course, Payton as the model.

I created a mood board to share my ideas with Payton and my friend Mark who would be taking the photos on how I wanted the photos to look, a good location, and some images of the feeling I wanted to portray in the dress.

Fort Rock Park: A great location out in the high desert of Central Oregon, a perfect backdrop for the photos

I packed up the dress and all of the sewing supplies I might need, and we headed out to Sunriver. We got there a couple of days before the others arrived which gave me time to do some last minute finished on the gown and get it all ready for the shoot.

The big day came and we were all ready to make the hour long drive in two SUV’s from Sunriver to the location at Fort Rock. It was a gorgeous warm day which was perfect for being outside before and during the shoot.

Abby applies makeup to Payton out on the deck on this gorgeous day

Julie’s nieces Abby and Lauren were able to join us the day of the shoot to help with makeup and styling and just tag along for fun. I had met Abby before and she was wonderful to be a model for some of my dresses last year, also photos shot by her uncle Mark. It was great to have them as they both really helped out, plus are around Payton’s age (a little older) and helped her feel more comfortable and relaxed, and gave great tips on makeup and poses to do during the shoot.

We arrived at the location and were in awe of the beautiful spot with the big lava mountain stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The sky was amazing and looked almost like a fake backdrop! We got started right away with Mark taking photos, Julie helping with the equipment, the girls giving good posing direction, and me fluffing the dress whenever necessary.

Lauren giving Payton sexy gesture direction

We got some great shots in a few areas around the park, some standing in the field, some on the dirt path that went around the enormous rock, some sitting on a rock, and then some at the little abandoned town that was down the street a bit from the rock. Mark really captured it all beautifully and Payton was spectacular in the gown!

I am just overjoyed with how it all came out in the end! The gown is gorgeous, Payton looks amazing, and Mark really captured my vision. I can’t thank them all enough for their contribution to this project, it was really special and dear to my heart!

The photos are just amazing and I believe will help me take my dressmaking business to the next level.

Abstract Wearable Art

My dear friend told me about an event that was going on in Portland that she bought a ticket for and thought I might be interested in joining her. The event was a combination fashion show, art exhibit and promotion of new happenings in the city. It was hosted in a former retail space in Pioneer Place mall , a once booming luxury mall that had been hit hard since the riots of 2020 and was loosing traffic, but is showing a renewed interest with some high end shops and new use of some of the otherwise unoccupied spaces. A new art gallery has opened in one such space in the mall, Gallery Go Go, which features local artists, hosted the event and invited other fashion, makeup and performance artists, and most notably, the amazing botanical artist, Francois Weeks. All of the amazing makeup art was done by a talented team at Event Cosmetics.

Of course, I was thrilled to hear of such a show and immediately purchased a ticket to join in the fun and also to support some local talent. Plus I got to hang out with a wonderful, fun and beautiful friend who also shared a passion for fashion and culture as I do.

I began to plan what I wanted to wear to this event as I just LOVE fashion shows and events that involve socializing, seeing amazing artists work, and dressing up!

Since the event was happening in early March, I thought it would be wise to make a statement coat or jacket of sorts so that I wouldn’t have to worry about what I was going to wear as outerwear over my outfit. I felt it was a great idea to make a unique jacket and embellish it with floral and botanical inspired embroidery, beading and appliqués, and line the asymmetric peplum with a complimentary pop of color. I gathered up my pattern ideas, materials and ordered some lovely appliqués from Etsy and began to work on it.

An appliqué and beads that could work on the jacket

If you know me at all, you know that I tend to have TOO many ideas swimming around in my head and only occasionally take the idea to a finished project. Well you guessed it, the idea was a great one, I started on it, but time just began to run out and I knew that I couldn’t finish it in time to wear to the show. Argh!

So, I tabled plan A and moved on to plan B.

I have plenty of lovely fabric in my stash, fabrics that are already embellished or printed and only need a blank slate to make them come alive. Enter the idea to make a great jacket using a pattern that I have always wanted to make and some great fabric I’ve been saving for such an occasion!

I got to work cutting out this McCalls pattern #M7879 that I had in my collection, choosing the view with the interesting leg ‘o mutton sleeve and longer hem so that I could be warm and stylish, but not too hot if it were to be hot at the event:

The line drawings for the pattern. I made view C

If you happen to be interested where I got the Leg ‘o Mutton description of that style of puffed sleeve, it is actually a style of sleeve that has been around since the 1800’s and is to resemble the leg of a lamb.

https://thepragmaticcostumer.wordpress.com/tag/leg-o-mutton-sleeves/

https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/12/fashion-moments-leg-o-mutton-sleeves/

Did you know I also am a huge fashion history nerd? You heard it here, Folks! Love it.

On to the project!

I had this interesting floral and abstract printed cotton blend fabric that had a Scotch-guard surface treatment, perfect for a light outerwear piece, or a home decor project. It has some abstract floral print and black zebra-type stripes on a bright white background. I had purchased enough yardage of it with the intent to use to make it into a rain jacket, so it was just right.

It didn’t take too long to make up the jacket, between other client projects and teaching sewing classes, about two weeks on and off in total. Even though the jacket is fully lined and making the sleeve like that was new to me, I managed to stay up late some nights and power through it.

I tell you, with having my own sewing business, operated out of my lovely and inspiring home, I have more time, mental space and ability to do special, last minute projects like this and that makes me so, sew happy! I have all my tools, machines, notions, thread, buttons, fabrics, patterns, trims, beads; essentially all of the things I need to make most any garment at my fingertips. No need to even leave the house! Such a dream come true.

A pop of color using bias piping trim, inserted to the inside of the jacket between the lining and the facing. A little design feature I love to add to jackets and coats whenever I can.

The jacket lining installed and getting close to being finished. I had this silk/spandex blend fabric in black on hand in my fabric stash. I love using silk to line better garments. It’s so luxe and slippy!

Alas, I finished the jacket just in time to take a few photos of it, put it on with the rest of my outfit, do my makeup and hair, and head out the door to meet my friend for dinner before the show.

I’m ready to go and excited to wear my new creation!

I wore my new jacket over a black cashmere turtleneck and faux leather leggings with some Sorel booties. Perfection!
#sewingismysuperpower

The show was amazing and so fun to see such wonderful creations by talented artists featured on bodies of beautiful people. The featured artist Francois Weeks created spectacular live botanical displays and wearable works of floral art. Check out some of the photos I took from my seat at the show and afterwards. Click on the photos to see some of the detail work that will blow your mind! Amazing and SO inspirational!

I was so mesmerized by the amazing arial artist, I only got this one photo of her, about to approach the arial hoop, at the very beginning of doing her magic during the show:

Even the music from the featured DJ’s was super sweet! We also got a great goodie bag that included some lip balm from Event Cosmetics that I have been loving, an amazing perfume sample, and some other great little treats to enjoy!

We had an amazing night out, seeing such talent and inspiration to be creative, and just fun to hang out with some cool people of Portland! I was perfectly comfortable and felt great in my jacket and the outfit I put together with it. I got tons of compliments on my jacket, before and after the show, as well as from my social media posts following that night. The icing on the cake happened when McCalls Pattern Company contacted me through my Instagram post, asking if they could feature my jacket on their page. WOW!!!

Draped in a Dream Dress

This journey began with a bright eyed beauty, curious to know more about what I might be able to create for her and what the process of creating a custom dress looked like. Laura contacted me, looking for a custom dress to wear to her sister’s wedding event. She wanted a dress with a 1930’s feel, one that had fabric interest with unique design details.

She had seen a dress in a movie that she loved and wanted to get a similar look. She sent me photos of screen shots from the movie, plus some inspiration shared on Pinterest

She loved the rich tones of the fabric combination, and the soft ruffled neckline of this dress

I got to work and found a pattern that was designed in the 1930’s and had the basic shape of the dress style she liked including the sweetheart neckline, the low back and the long, softly shaped skirt

I found this pattern and ordered it from Etsy

We hit the fabric store shortly after I received the pattern, and I also made a mock up of the dress for her to try on

It was my first time making a ruffle like this at the neckline of a dress. Although we like it, we decided it was a bit too much for her.

The fit of the dress was great, but here we are playing with different strap placement and neckline shape

Back to the drawing board!

As the construction of the dress progressed, I kept Laura posted with details of what I was doing and got her input on any options she had.

She loves the combination of the drapey lavender chiffon with the deep plus satin. I also thought the colors were beautiful together, just the placement was not as compelling as it could be.

I brought up an idea of draping over the entire top of the dress, allowing both fabrics to have their moment. I presented her with this idea of draping and criss crossing the chiffon over the bodice.

She really like that idea, approved it, so I got going on making it happen!

I finished constructing the dress underneath by adding boning and bra cups to the lining of the dress.

The lining turned out beautifully and was a pleasure to look at as she slipped into the dress. That kind of detail makes me happy, and hopefully also the case for the wearer!

The bodice and skirt lining ready to be installed into the dress!

Plenty of pining and hand sewing happening on my trusty dressform

The bodice front, sides, and eventual side drape piece, all pleated and basted, ready to be sewn together, then sewn over the main dress bodice.

So after quite a bit of trial and error, as this was my first time creating such a dress with the draping detail, I finally finished the gown!

Here are some photos of the versions I sent over to her before finishing up on her final version:

She looks so pretty and elegant, even unfinished!

The drape happening in the back would also look so gorgeous! I might need to make this dress again just for fun!

And the finale!

Meanwhile, Portland was hit with a big snowstorm that essentially shut down the city and trapped many people at home. Well, that didn’t stop me! My sweet husband offered to drive me and the finished gown over to Laura’s house and deliver it in person in his SUV that is great in the snow. What a nice guy!

Laura was radiant in her dress as she tried it on in her bedroom! I brought along a small sewing kit and supplies to do any last minute fixes as needed.

Well, it turned out that the dress needed a little more than just a few stitches to make it perfect. So, unfortunately I had to take the dress back home and make some fitting changes to the bodice and straps to make it just right. No problem! OK, one major problem: the dress was meant for her to take along to wear at her sister’s wedding event in California the next day and it wasn’t ready. UGH!!! I was hoping to be able to make the changes that same day and drive the dress back over so she could pack it for her trip. I ran out of time and wasn’t able to make it happen. You have no idea how SO disappointing this was for me, not to mention for her as well. So she left early the next morning for California, all without the dress we worked so hard to make in time for the event. GRR, I was SO upset with myself!

Well, now the dress is complete and altered and ready to go for the next occasion she may have to wear it. All in all, Laura was such a wonderful client to work with and I hope that she’s willing to work with me again on another gorgeous creation, and possibly even teach her some sewing lessons so that she can learn to make her own beautiful and unique clothes!

Lesson learned: time management is KEY to making deadlines and leaving room for error.

The gown turned out so elegant and eye catching!

Thank you so much Laura for choosing me to create such a beautiful gown for you! I enjoyed every moment of the process, mishaps and all. Enjoy wearing your dress and may you glow and shine in it as you do so naturally! Love, Stephanie

odetosew

Fashion Designer in Training